


The Caning

by Taika



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Caning, Caning Aftermath & Recovery, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Judicial Corporal Punishment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 22:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1364014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taika/pseuds/Taika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aidan's holiday in Singapore turns into a nightmare when he is arrested and charged with robbery. In the aftermath of the events that follow Dean takes care of Aidan and helps him recover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Caning

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of a previous work that I have overhauled after it was bought to my attention that some of my facts weren't correct. Hopefully everything is correct now. If you are from Singapore and are going to read this please don't take any offense as it is purely fiction. Apologies if I have missed any tags that should be there. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Aidan Turner couldn’t believe the nightmare that was happening to him. He had travelled to Singapore for a holiday to recharge his batteries and halfway through his holidays had been arrested and charged with robbery. According to the charge he had broken into a private residence, had stolen some items and had assaulted a man during the robbery leaving the man badly hurt. Aidan had protested his innocence and a thorough investigation had been carried out but all the evidence pointed to him being guilty. He hadn’t been with anyone at the time of the robbery so no one could vouch for him to prove that he wasn’t involved. Security cameras had shown someone that looked an awful lot like him breaking into the residence in question. And the person who had been hurt had picked him out of a line up, positively identifying him as the one who had attacked him and robbed him. Now he was facing a terrible choice in terms of what sentence he would be given.  
“Normally you would be sentenced to two to ten years in prison and be required to take no less than 6 strokes of the cane as well. But because you’re a well-known actor and a foreigner I am willing to suspend the prison sentence if you agree to have 24 strokes of the cane administered. That is the maximum strokes allowed under our law,” the judge had said.  
“Isn’t that a bit harsh especially as he’s a first time offender?” Aidan’s lawyer asked.  
“It is equal in my opinion to the amount of time Mr Turner would have to serve in prison. And besides just because it’s his first offence doesn’t make it any less serious,” the judge said.

“Why not just deport Mr Turner back to the UK?” Aidan’s lawyer asked.  
“Because it wouldn’t discourage him from committing further crimes,” the judge asked.  
The judge then turned to Aidan.  
“If you agree to taking 24 strokes of the cane your sentence will be administered within a few days. You will then be free to go and get on with your life. You have three hours to decide what you want to do,” the judge said.  
Aidan looked at the judge not betraying any hint of how he felt. Inside however he was scared very scared of what being caned would involve. It sounded like either way he would be forced to endure a caning but it was up to him how severe. Doing prison time did not appeal as it would have a detrimental effect on his career, taking him out of commission for up to ten years. That was a long time for an actor and he would likely be forgotten by the time he came out of prison. Plus he would have aged so roles might be harder to come by. The judge left and the guards motioned Aidan to stand and follow them out of the courtroom. Aidan did so hoping that his plight would have reached the ears of the media. He had been allowed one phone call after his arrest and had called a friend in Ireland, not wanting to frighten his family or his girlfriend. Now it seemed he had nothing to do but wait and decide what his sentence would be.

Aidan was taken to a holding cell and he was permitted to consult with his lawyer.  
“What the heck do I do? I’ve heard about the canings they give here and the idea of being caned quite frankly is terrifying. I know I’d be left with permanent scarring and my bottom would be a mess especially if I took 24 strokes of the cane,” Aidan said.  
“Either way you will get the cane. Granted your injuries would be much less severe if you took the jail time and 6 strokes of the cane. But you’d be unable to work for at least two years and up to ten years depending on the length of your sentence. I would say you’d be looking at between five to eight years,” Aidan’s lawyer said.  
“Would my girlfriend be able to visit me,” Aidan said.  
“Yes but under strictly controlled conditions,” Aidan’s lawyer said.  
“So I’m either looking at a lot of damage to my posterior and lifelong scars plus a lot of pain or a long time in jail,” Aidan said.  
“That’s correct. However as the judge said, if you take the 24 strokes of the cane there will be no jail sentence and you’ll be able to get on with your life. You’d only be in jail a few days,” Aidan’s lawyer said.  
“I shouldn’t have to go through either. I am innocent of the crime I’ve been convicted of,” Aidan said.  
“I know you are and the truth will come out. It is my opinion that you should take the 24 strokes of the cane so you can get on with your life,” Aidan’s lawyer said.

When the three hours were up Aidan was escorted out of the cell and back to the courtroom. The judge was waiting for him.  
“Well what is your decision?” the judge asked.  
“I will take the 24 strokes of the cane,” Aidan said.  
“Your sentence will be carried out in the next few days. Until then you will remain in prison where the sentence will be carried out. The prison doctor will be present during your caning and he will be the only one who can end the caning prematurely if he feels you are not fit to receive the remaining strokes,” the judge said.  
Aidan was taken to the prison which wasn’t very far away to wait for his caning. He had been told he wouldn’t know when he was to be caned until the day of his caning. After Aidan was put in his cell he began to wonder what he was in for. When the prison warden came to see him Aidan told him he didn’t know what to expect when he was caned.  
“Do you know what the procedure is for a caning?” the warden asked.  
“Not really,” Aidan said.  
“Have you ever been caned before?” the warden asked.  
“No. Corporal punishment was abolished in schools before I began school. So we were punished with detention if we misbehaved,” Aidan said.

“I see. Well so you know what to expect I will give you an idea of the procedure for a caning. You’ll be taken to the room where the caning will take place. There you will be asked to take off all your clothes as canings are administered with the person to be caned naked. Once you have stripped you will walk to the caning frame where you will be tied to the frame in a bent over position your legs together and protective padding tied to your torso to protect your spine and kidneys from any wayward strokes. Then the caning will begin and the strokes will be administered 30 seconds apart. You will be required to be conscious for each and every stroke and if you pass out you will be revived unless the doctor feels that you aren’t fit to take any more strokes. In that case the rest of the strokes will be waived. You are allowed to cry out as loudly as you want but for most men they feel if they cry out in any way that they have lost face so to speak,” the warden said.  
“Do I really have to strip naked?” Aidan asked.  
“Yes you do. As I said canings are administered with the person to be caned naked. No exceptions,” the warden said.  
“Right I understand,” Aidan said.  
“After you’ve been caned you’ll be taken to the medical room where you will receive treatment for your wounds. The cane will leave you raw and bleeding. The prison doctor will treat your wounds with antiseptic and make sure they don’t become infected. Once the bleeding stops you will be able to get dressed and will be released,” The warden said.  
The warden told Aidan he’d be examined by the prison doctor on the day of the caning to ensure he was fit to be caned then left.

Two days later Aidan’s sentence was carried out. After he had had breakfast he was escorted to the room where the caning was to take place. In the room was an A shaped frame with straps at the bottom and on one of the crossbars. The prison doctor and the man who would be caning Aidan were in the room. The caner was holding the cane and standing near the frame. The warden was also there and he nodded to the guards who went and stood by the caning frame.  
“Aidan Turner is that correct,” the warden said.  
“Yes that’s me,” Aidan said.  
“You are to receive 24 strokes of the cane for robbery leading to severe injury. Is that correct,” the warden said.  
“Yes,” Aidan said.  
He knew that he had been asked his name and his sentence confirmed so that no mistakes were made.  
“Please remove all of your clothes Mr Turner,” the warden said.  
Aidan undressed leaving his clothes in a tidy pile and once he was naked he was examined by the doctor who checked his blood pressure and ran other tests and pronounced him fit to be caned. He was then escorted to the frame and the guards made him bend over the padded cross bar and secured his ankles to the bottom bar with the ankle cuffs and his wrists to the cross bar on the opposite side with the wrist cuffs. Aidan could grip the cross bar if he wished to. Finally one of the guards’ secured padding across Aidan’s lower back to protect his spine and kidneys. 

When that was done everything was checked to make sure it was secure and the caner took up his position near the frame about five feet away from Aidan.  
“Count One” the warden called out.  
Aidan heard the cane whistling as the caner swung it downwards towards his buttocks and then it connected with his buttocks. At first Aidan felt a warm burning sensation after the cane had landed and thought that it wasn’t as bad as he had feared it would be. But as he waited for the next stroke, the pain increased until it felt like a red hot poker was being pressed hard into his buttocks. He gripped the cross bar and gritted his teeth. The cane whistled down again biting into Aidan’s buttocks for the second time. The pain was even more intense and Aidan writhed in his restraints. It was only the second stroke and already Aidan felt like his backside was on fire. He didn’t know how many more strokes he could bear. He couldn’t even look to see what damage was being done as one of the guards was holding his head so he couldn’t accidentally bang himself on the frame. The third stroke bit into Aidan’s buttocks and the pain was excruciating. Aidan bit back a scream determined not to lose face. The pain was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. The warden could see three distinct stripes on Aidan’s backside, one of which was an open wound. Aidan was gripping the crossbar tightly and bracing himself for the next stroke. With a crack the cane bit into his buttocks for the fourth time and fire spread throughout Aidan. It was only the fourth stroke and he still had twenty strokes to go. It was torture and it was only going to get worse. He was thankful that Ireland and the UK did not use corporal punishment to punish criminals. Aidan started to focus his thoughts on Dean and his other Hobbit cast mates to try to take his mind off his pain. 

The fifth stroke was applied and the doctor checked Aidan who now had 3 open wounds on his backside. As Aidan seemed to be tolerating the pain fairly well and hadn’t fainted the doctor indicated that the caning could continue. He would check Aidan again after the tenth stroke was administered. Aidan was in agony now but wasn’t letting it show. The cane bit into Aidan’s buttocks again and one of the wounds was opened up even more. Aidan jerked and started to breathe heavily. Blood began to run down his buttocks from the wound that had opened up more. Aidan’s bottom was now covered in stripes and open wounds. When the seventh stroke landed Aidan began to feel faint from the pain but still remained silent. He knew he’d taken 7 strokes and still had seventeen to go. He wasn’t even halfway there as there were still five more strokes to go before he had taken half of the strokes he had been sentenced to. With a crack the cane connected with Aidan’s bottom again and Aidan gritted his teeth. Every stroke was beginning to feel the same but Aidan knew that more and more damage was being done every time the cane struck him. He still had quite a few strokes to go and was still feeling light headed. The ninth stroke landed and Aidan sank into a haze of pain only dimly aware of what was going on. He blinked hoping he wasn’t going to faint and focused on gripping the crossbar tightly and getting through the next stroke. It came and this time he did faint and the doctor noticed straight away. The doctor quickly revived him with smelling salts and checked him over declaring the caning should continue. The cane cracked down upon his buttocks again and Aidan felt the pain radiate down his legs. If he hadn’t been tied to the frame he would have slumped against it as his legs felt weak.  
“You’ll be halfway there after the next stroke,” the officer holding Aidan’s head said.

The next stroke was administered and Aidan was halfway through his caning. He had taken twelve strokes of the cane and had twelve strokes to go.  
“You’re doing very well. Most men taking this amount of strokes would have been crying out by now,” the officer holding Aidan’s head said.  
“My pride won’t let me. I’ll be damned if I lose face,” Aidan said.  
The thirteenth stroke was administered after he said that and he had to grit his teeth again as the pain washed over him. He turned his thoughts to his girlfriend Amber wondering how she was doing and if she knew what was happening to him. He knew she’d be horrified when she found out if she didn’t know. The fourteenth stroke was administered while Aidan was thinking this and it snapped him back to reality. By now Aidan’s buttocks were covered in open wounds which were getting worse with every stroke.  
“You have 10 strokes to go,” the officer holding his head told him.  
That gave Aidan little comfort as although he was nearing the end of his caning every stroke he was getting was making the pain worse and worse and doing him more and more damage. The fifteenth stroke cracked down on his buttocks and Aidan could feel more blood running down his legs. The doctor checked him again and wiped away some of the blood then indicated that the caning could continue. It had been very painful when the doctor wiped the blood away as the doctor had had to dab at his raw tender swollen flesh. 

The sixteenth stroke was applied and Aidan felt his head swimming again and blinked hard. Eight more strokes and it would be over. Aidan was determined to get through each one without making a sound despite the agonising pain he was in. The seventeenth stroke was applied and Aidan felt yet another wound open up.  
“7 strokes to go,” the officer holding Aidan’s head said.  
Aidan knew it was nearly over and that he would survive it. However he still didn’t know how badly he would be scarred. Aidan took a deep breath and gripped the crossbar tightly as he prepared for the next stroke to be applied. The eighteenth stroke was applied and Aidan took more deep breaths as the pain hit focusing on getting through it.  
“6 strokes to go you’re nearly there,” the officer holding Aidan’s head said.  
The doctor would check Aidan again after the next two strokes were applied. The nineteenth stroke was applied and Aidan slumped against the frame again feeling faint. The doctor stepped forward and checked him. He was still conscious so the twentieth stroke was applied.  
“Four strokes to go. You’re almost there,” the officer holding Aidan’s head said.  
The doctor checked Aidan’s wounds and then the twenty first stroke was applied. Aidan’s bottom had been cleaned up again by the doctor after the twentieth stroke but it was still bleeding freely and the twenty first stroke had increased the bleeding. The officer holding Aidan’s head told him he had three strokes left and then the cane bit into Aidan’s buttocks for the twenty second time. There were just two strokes left to be administered. It would only be a few minutes before it was over. Aidan braced himself and got ready for the last two strokes. The twenty third stroke was applied and then Aidan knew that he would survive without crying out.  
“Count twenty four” the warden called out signifying the final stroke.

The cane whistled down and bit into Aidan’s buttocks for the twenty fourth and final time. It was over and Aidan slumped down relief flooding through him. He was feeling cold and his heart was racing. He closed his eyes and waited for the guards to release him from the frame. They stepped forward and removed the protective padding from Aidan’s torso then undid the straps that tied Aidan to the frame, releasing him. He slumped down having half passed out again.  
“Can you walk Mr Turner?” the warden asked.  
Aidan staggered upright then swayed unsteadily, beginning to go into shock from the pain he was in.  
“Guards, help him to the medical room please,” the warden said.  
The guards gently tied an apron around Aidan’s front to preserve his modesty then helped him to the medical room. There he was gently helped to get on a bed and lie on his stomach so the prison doctor could treat his wounds. Aidan was feeling weak and faint and the pain was agonising so he groaned finally able to express how he was feeling. The doctor treated Aidan’s wounds as gently as possible trying to avoid causing Aidan further pain. Aidan’s backside was a mess and it was clear that his wounds would take a long time to heal. His backside had a number of open bleeding wounds where the cane had torn open his flesh. These weren’t deep but they were painful and Aidan would have to be careful not to reopen them whilst they were healing. His buttocks were also very swollen and had dark bruising on them. He would be in a lot of pain for quite some time and the wounds would take a long time to heal as Aidan had taken so many strokes of the cane. The doctor applied dressings to Aidan’s wounds then advised him to rest as it would help his recovery.

Back in New Zealand Aidan’s close friend Dean O’Gorman had heard on the news about a tourist being arrested in Singapore and charged with robbery. The news report had said that the tourist had chosen to receive 24 strokes of the cane in exchange for his prison sentence being waived. Dean sent Aidan a text message worried it was him as he knew Aidan had been on holiday in Singapore. Aidan was due to visit him in New Zealand when his holiday in Singapore was over. When Dean didn’t get a reply he began to worry as he had googled caning in Singapore and had been appalled at the pictures of prisoners who had been caned. If Aidan had been caned his bottom would be a real mess and he would require help recovering. Finally Dean received a phone call from one of Aidan’s friends in Ireland who Aidan had contacted when given his one phone call after being arrested. Aidan’s friend broke the news to him that it had been Aidan who had been given the cane.  
“Do you know how he is? How can they have done that to him? He wouldn’t have robbed anyone. How could they even think he had? Surely there would have been a thorough investigation to make sure they had the right person” Dean asked.  
“I don’t know and I’m worried about him. Have you seen any pictures of what caning does to someone?” Aidan’s friend asked.  
“Yes I have. And Aidan received the maximum strokes allowed under Singaporean law. So it was as bad as it gets,” Aidan’s friend said.  
“That’s barbaric, how could they do that to him?” Dean asked.  
He was appalled as he could imagine the mess Aidan’s posterior must be in.  
Dean and Aidan’s friend chatted for a few more minutes then Dean ended the call. He needed to make arrangements for going to Singapore to help Aidan. 

The next day Dean flew to Singapore and travelled to the part of Singapore Aidan was in. By then Aidan had been released from the prison and was in a hotel recovering. Dean booked into the same hotel in a room near Aidan’s and once he was there and had checked in he went to see Aidan. Aidan was lying face down on the bed half naked covered by a sheet, groaning in pain.  
“Aid it’s me Dean. I’m going to take care of you,” Dean said.  
“It hurts so much Deano. I can’t bear it,” Aidan said.  
He had eventually stopped bleeding and had managed to get dressed again gingerly easing his underwear and pants over his incredibly sore bottom. Once released from the prison he had somehow made it to the hotel he had arranged to stay at. His phone had been returned to him along with his clothes while he was in the prison medical room and he’d used it to arrange to stay at the hotel. Once there Aidan had removed his pants and underwear again and gotten on the bed and covered himself with a sheet and had waited for a doctor to come and tend to him. Dean had arrived first though.  
“Why did they think you’d committed that robbery?” Dean asked.  
“I still don’t know. I do know that I am innocent and they’ve caned an innocent man,” Aidan said.  
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Dean asked.  
“I’ve arranged for a doctor to come and see me soon,” Aidan said.  
That was when the doctor arrived.

He greeted Aidan and Aidan introduced Dean.  
“How many strokes were you given?” the doctor asked.  
“24,” Aidan said.  
The doctor pulled the sheet down and removed the dressings to reveal Aidan’s bruised and swollen buttocks covered in raw welts and Dean blanched at the open welts. Aidan’s injuries were even worse than what he had expected them to be.  
“Shoot Aid they’ve made a real mess of you. I knew your injuries would be bad but I never imagined them to be this bad,” Dean said.  
“Yes they have and it still feels like my butt is on fire. It’s not as bad as it was when they were caning me though,” Aidan said.  
The open wounds weren’t bleeding but they were oozing so the doctor applied some antiseptic then dressed Aidan’s wounds. The doctor then instructed Dean on how to apply the antiseptic and change Aidan’s dressings and gave Dean a script for some pain relief for Aidan. After the doctor left Aidan asked Dean to put the sheet back over him. Dean moved to do so then told Aidan he wouldn’t let anyone other than the doctor into the room while Aidan was in the state he was in.  
“Talk to me Deano. It will keep my mind off the pain,” Aidan said.

“Well I had a good flight over here. I found out what happened to you from one of your friends from Ireland. He called me and told me what had happened. I had tried to message you after hearing about your sentence on the news but you never replied,” Dean said.  
“My phone was taken off me after I was arrested after I called my friend in Ireland. I didn’t get it back until after I’d been caned,” Aidan said.  
“Does your girlfriend know what happened?” Dean asked.  
“Amber? No she doesn’t. I’m just glad she didn’t come with me as this would have upset her greatly,” Aidan said.  
“Do you wish me to contact her and let her know?” Dean asked.  
“No I will tell her myself,” Aidan said, “Can you pass me my phone?” he added.  
Dean picked up Aidan’s phone from the side table and passed it to him.  
“Are you going to be able to start work on Poldark as scheduled in a couple of months?”  
“I don’t know as I think it’s going to take me a long time to heal,” Aidan said.  
“Will you have scars?” Dean asked.  
“Yes caning leaves indelible marks. That’s why I need to let Amber know what happened. If we should get married and she sees me undressed she’ll see the marks on my butt and will want to know what caused them.

With that said Aidan got on the phone and Dean sat quietly while he talked to Amber. After he ended the conversation Aidan got Dean to put his phone back on the side table.  
“How did Amber take the news?” Dean asked.  
“She is upset. Wants to come and look after me,” Aidan said, “I told her that you’re looking after me and that there isn’t any need for her to come. I promised to call her regularly. She’d also tried to get in touch after the story broke in the news but like you couldn’t get a reply since I didn’t have my phone,” Aidan said.  
“I wonder what would happen if the real robber was caught and it was proved that you’d been caned unjustly,” Dean said.  
“I’d want compensation,” Aidan said promptly.  
“Fair enough too,” Dean said.  
“It won’t change the fact that I’m going to have permanent scars. Nothing can change that,” Aidan said.  
“Why didn’t you refuse to co-operate?” Dean asked.  
“I would have been caned anyway. The guards would have stripped me and forced me over to the caning frame then bent me over it and tied me to it,” Aidan said,” I would also probably have gotten a few more strokes added on for being un co-operative,” he added.

“What was it like? You know the actual caning?” Dean asked curiously.  
“It was excruciatingly painful. The funny thing was when they hit me the first time it didn’t feel too bad at first but then the pain built. By the third stroke I was in agony and I was in agony for the remainder of the strokes. It’s not something I ever want to experience again and I can understand why those who are caned generally don’t go on to reoffend again. Once is quite enough,” Aidan said.  
“I gather it was on the bare,” Dean said.  
“Yes it was. It was on my bare buttocks. But they did put some padding on my lower back to protect my spine and kidneys from wayward strokes,” Aidan said.  
“Did you cry out at all?” Dean asked.  
“No I didn’t. It’s generally considered to be a loss of face if you cry out. So I toughed it out and I think it shocked everyone that I a westerner was able to take 24 strokes of the rattan without crying out. I don’t know how I did it but I did.  
He found that he wasn’t minding talking about it as it was good to share about his experience and talking about it helped him to come to terms with it and accept what had happened to him.  
“Wow no wonder your rear is in such a mess,” Dean said.  
“They made me strip as canings are done with the prisoner naked,” Aidan said.  
“That must have been very embarrassing. I hope there weren’t many people in the room with you,” Dean said.  
“There were the guards, the man who caned me, the prison doctor and the prison warden. All males so it wasn’t embarrassing. They would have seen it all before many times,” Aidan said.  
“So they treated you with dignity and respect,” Dean said.  
“Yes they did. Although I was being punished they still treated me as a person with dignity and respect.

Dean was relieved to hear that. Aidan went on to tell him that the guards had respected his modesty when taking him to the infirmary and had put an apron on him so he was decent. Dean then changed the subject and the two chatted about Amber and after a while Aidan realised with a start he’d forgotten about the pain in his bottom. The doctor came again after Aidan had had dinner – via room service as he was in no state to go down to the dining room – and checked Aidan’s dressings and gave him some pain relief as Dean hadn’t yet filled the script he’d been given earlier.  
“Doctor would ice help me at all?” Aidan asked.  
He had been considering asking Dean to get some ice and apply an ice pack to his bottom to try and relieve some of the pain.  
“It might,” the doctor said.  
Aidan had no idea how he was going to sleep given the sheer amount of pain he was in.  
“Thank you doctor,” Aidan said.  
After the doctor had gone Dean found some ice and wrapped it in a towel and passed it to Aidan who gently put it against his buttocks. After a few moments Aidan spoke.  
“It is helping somewhat,” Aidan said.  
“’That’s good. Do you think you’ll manage to sleep tonight?” Dean asked.  
“I hope so. I didn’t get much sleep the last few nights,” Aidan said.

Two days later Aidan flew to New Zealand with Dean to continue his recovery at Dean’s place. To get from the hotel to the airport and onto the aeroplane Aidan had worn a sarong with nothing underneath. He’d felt a little self-conscious about wearing a skirt but it was the only thing he could wear comfortably. Dean had had to buy Aidan the sarong the day before they left Singapore as Aidan wasn’t in any state to leave the hotel and go shopping. As Aidan was still in a lot of pain he had booked a first class seat which could be converted to a bed so he could be lying down on his stomach. Obviously he had to sit while the plane took off and landed so once he was on the plane he gingerly sat down and fastened his seatbelt. He gritted his teeth as the plane took off, the pain excruciating. Once the plane was at cruising altitude he changed the seat into the bed and lay down on his stomach. The relief was instant and he stayed like that until he had to sit again to land. The landing was as excruciating as the take-off and once the plane had landed and Aidan was able to stand up again he headed off the plane. He and Dean collected their luggage and headed to his car. Aidan got in the back and lay across the passenger seats. Dean drove them to his place and once they were there Aidan went into the guest room and removing his sarong lay on the bed a sheet over him. Dean unpacked then went into the guest room and checked Aidan’s wounds. They had begun bleeding again as they had split open from him having to sit on them in the plane. So Dean cleaned Aidan up, applied some antiseptic and applied new dressings.

“How bad is it?” Aidan asked.  
“You’re bleeding again as the wounds split open from when you had to sit on the plane for it to take off and land,” Dean said.  
“I thought that might have happened as I could feel dampness on the dressings. No wonder it was excruciating for me to sit through the take-off and landing,” Aidan said.  
“There wasn’t any other way for you to get here,” Dean said, “You can stay here as long as you need to while you recover. Does your agent know what happened?” Dean asked.  
“No I better call him and get him to contact the Poldark people. Filming will have to be delayed for a while. There is no way I could fly to the UK any time soon. I just can’t sit without aggravating my injuries,” Aidan said.  
“You are welcome to stay here as long as you need for your wounds to heal. I don’t mind at all.  
He got on the phone to Andrew his agent.

“You’re kidding me,” Andrew said when he told him.  
“I’m not kidding and I’m furious about it as I am innocent. I did not rob any one,” Aidan said.  
“Are you badly hurt?” Andrew asked.  
“I haven’t actually had a look at my bottom yet but it’s pretty bad. Tell you what I’ll get Dean to take some photos so you can see the damage that was done,” Aidan said.  
“Ok. I’ll get in touch with the Poldark people and get them to delay filming. How soon do you think you will be able to get back over here?” Andrew asked.  
“I won’t be able to fly for probably another couple of months. It’s going to take me ages to heal as I was given 24 strokes which is the maximum number of strokes one can be given in Singapore and the cane did a LOT of damage. I’m still in a lot of pain and there is no way I can sit down as it aggravates the injuries,” Aidan said.  
“How barbaric of them,” Andrew said, “Was it as painful as reports have claimed it to be?” he asked.  
“You better believe it,” Aidan said, “It was applied to my bare buttocks,” he added.  
“Bare buttocks?” Andrew asked.  
He sounded aghast at what he was hearing.  
“Yes they made me strip and tied me to the caning frame. Don’t worry padding was put on my lower back to protect me from wayward strokes,” Aidan said.  
“If there is anything I can do just let me know. I’ll contact the Poldark people and get back to you,” Andrew said.

He and Aidan ended their conversation then and Aidan looked at Dean.  
“Could you... Could you take some pictures of my wounds so I can see how bad it is,” Aidan asked.  
“Haven’t you seen your bottom yet?” Dean asked.  
“No I haven’t,” Aidan said.  
Dean got his camera out and uncovering Aidan’s bottom and removing the dressings took a couple of photos. He then checked Aidan’s wounds and replaced the dressings then showed Aidan the photos. Aidan swore when he saw the photos as the damage to his bottom was pretty bad. He knew he’d have bad scaring once he was healed.  
“It’s worse than I suspected it was. They are barbarians the lot of them,” Aidan said.  
“Let it out Aid,” Dean encouraged.  
It was the first time Aidan had voiced how he felt about the caning other than he felt it had been unjust.  
“I had never felt pain like it before. They had no right. No right at all to do that to me,” Aidan ranted.  
It felt good to rant and get all his anger off his chest. He spent the next thirty minutes letting out all his anger and fury about what had happened, Dean listening quietly and letting Aidan shout and swear doing whatever he needed to, to get it off his chest. When he was done he looked at Dean.  
“Sorry about that Deano,” he said.  
“It’s fine. I can tell it’s done you a lot of good,” Dean said.  
“Thanks. I fell a lot better. I needed that. Think I’ll call Amber now,” Aidan said.

Aidan emailed Dean’s photos to Andrew. He was pretty shocked when he saw them and told Aidan to take as much time as he needed to heal. Filming for Poldark had been delayed and everyone involved was very sympathetic about what had happened to Aidan. Two weeks later Aidan heard on the news that a man had been arrested for robbery in Singapore and when Aidan saw photos of the man he knew at once that the man was the one who had committed the robbery HE had been caned for.  
“Whoa Aidan he looks a lot like you. I can see why the person who identified you in the line-up would have thought it was you who had robbed and assaulted him. I wonder if he was the one who committed the robbery you were caned for,” Dean said.  
“Damn right he was. I hope the bastard confesses,” Aidan said.  
He knew that if the man confessed the Singaporeans would have to admit they’d made a mistake caning him and apologise to him. A few days after the arrest was made Aidan received a call from Singapore informing him that the man arrested had confessed to the robbery that he Aidan had been caned for. The Singaporean authorities now realised that they had caned an innocent man and were very apologetic. Aidan was seething inside as he had known this from the start. He bit back a I told you so retort and tried to be as patient as possible with the person talking to him. He was told that an investigation into how such a terrible error could have been made would be carried out. This gave him little comfort as it wouldn’t undo the damage done to him. 

Aidan was told he would receive an official apology and his conviction would be wiped from his record.  
“That’s it?” Dean asked when he heard.  
“That’s it. No compensation was mentioned,” Aidan said.  
“What are you going to do?” Dean asked.  
“Get a good lawyer for starters. I want to be compensated. My work is going to be affected by what happened to me. I still can’t fly to the UK yet,” Aidan said.  
“You could also go public about what happened to you. I would imagine the Singaporeans would be pretty keen to avoid a diplomatic incident over the matter. I can’t imagine the Irish politicians are going to be too thrilled to learn that an Irish national who is a celebrity no less was unjustly caned,” Dean said.  
“That is brilliant Dean. I’d better let my family know what happened first though as I’d hate them to find out through the media,” Aidan said.  
“You know even if you get compensation it’s not going to undo the damage they have done to you with the cane. You’ll still be scarred for life,” Dean said.  
“Nothing can undo the damage that has been done. It’s too late now. What’s done is done. But at least I’ll get compensation for the pain and suffering and for the time I’ll be forced to have off work. It will repay me for that sarong you bought me too,” Aidan said.  
He had already repaid Dean for that.  
“And your medical costs,” Dean added.  
There had been the costs of the pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication and the doctor’s visits.

So Aidan called his family and told them what had happened. They were as shocked and upset as Amber had been and supported Aidan’s decision to go public. Once that was done, Aidan called Andrew who swiftly made arrangements for Aidan to be interviewed by UK media. They flew to New Zealand and met with Aidan a couple of weeks after that. By then it had been a month since Aidan’s caning and his bottom was beginning to heal. He was able to wear regular clothes again but still couldn’t sit for long. The interview took place at Dean’s place where Aidan was still recuperating. Aidan told the interviewer everything and described his caning in great detail leaving nothing out. He then talked about how it had felt and the impact it had had on him afterwards.  
“Would it be ok if we take some photos of your injuries to include with the interview?” the reporters asked.  
“Go for it,” Aidan said.  
He stood up and went over to the bed and lying face down on it carefully exposed his buttocks. The photographer who was with the interview took some photos and then Aidan showed them the photos Dean had taken.  
“These were taken about 4 days after I was caned and as you can see the injuries were still very raw then,” Aidan said.

The interviewer asked if they could use Dean’s photos and Dean readily consented. After the interview was over and the media had gone Aidan was visited by Dean’s doctor who had been taking care of him ever since he’d been in New Zealand. The doctor asked Aidan how he was.  
“I’m slowly getting better. Still pretty tender and I still can’t sit for long,” Aidan said.  
“Alright. Let me take a look and I’ll tell you where things are at. Could you please slip your trousers off and lie on the bed,” the doctor said.  
Aidan removed his pants and lay back down on the bed while the doctor put on a pair of gloves.  
“Ok I’m just going to slip your underwear down,” the doctor said.  
Aidan felt the doctor lowering his boxer briefs working them down to the middle of his thighs.  
“Your wounds are looking better but they are still a long way from being healed. And that’s simply because you were given so many strokes. The fewer strokes you have the quicker you will heal as the less damage is inflicted. It’s good that your wounds have now scabbed over. You’ve still got some pretty deep bruising and you’re still quite swollen. I’m going to prescribe you some more anti-inflammatory tablets which will help bring the swelling down and that should ease the tenderness. Do you need any painkillers?” the doctor asked.  
“I do not need them as much so I’m alright for those,” Aidan said.

The doctor was done then so Aidan was able to right his underwear and put his trousers back on.  
“You’re slowly healing but in my opinion it’s going to take you another couple of months to fully heal. I will keep visiting once a week to check your wounds. But do let me know if anything changes,” the doctor said. Aidan had been warned right from the first time the doctor saw him to let him know straight away if he developed any signs of infection. Dean checked his wounds carefully each day and thus far he had avoided an infection. The doctor had been shocked by the state of Aidan’s bottom when he’d first seen it.  
“I will let you know. Thank you for your time Doctor,” Aidan said.  
“No problem. I want you to rest as much as you can and still to sit as little as possible. Continue to lie on your stomach when you can,” the doctor said.  
“I will,” Aidan said.  
The doctor left and then some more media people arrived, this time TV media. Aidan gave another interview and was filmed showing off his injuries. After they had gone Dean looked at Aidan.  
“Wow your story is going to be all over the media. Good work. Now the whole world will know that you were caned unjustly. Singapore caned an innocent man. People are going to have a field day with this. 

Two weeks later the interview came out in several UK magazines and the TV interview was all over TV in the UK then all around the world. As expected there was a huge furore over the fact that Aidan was innocent of the crime he’d been caned for. Irish officials had sent indignant messages to Singapore demanding that Aidan be paid compensation. Not surprisingly Singapore officials had quickly agreed and entered into communication with Aidan and his lawyer to negotiate his compensation. When Aidan had received his official apology the Singapore authorities had admitted they had wrongly arrested him but defended their actions based on the evidence they had had to hand. They apologised for the pain and suffering he had had to go through during and after his caning and hoped he would visit Singapore again.  
“Not ruddy likely,” Aidan had muttered.  
Aidan and his lawyer managed to negotiate what Aidan felt was a suitable amount to compensate him for the pain and suffering he’d been through as well as for the down time he was being forced to go through since he wouldn’t be able to work for at least another two maybe three months depending on how long it took his bottom to fully heal. His compensation was paid the very next day and he was paid the equivalent in UK pounds. As far as Singapore was concerned the matter was now closed. Aidan too was satisfied he’d been adequately compensated although no amount of money would take away the scars he would be left with. He would always be reminded of what had happened whenever he saw the scars on his bottom.

It took Aidan’s wounds a further three months to fully heal before he could fly back to the UK. Amber and his family had been delighted that he had received compensation and the official apology. They had been shocked when they had seen the photos of his injuries. When Amber visited Aidan at Dean’s she’d been shocked again when Aidan had told her he’d always have scars and marks on his buttocks from his caning. Aidan had let Amber see his buttocks after she’d asked if she could see his injuries for herself. By then his wounds were partially healed and the pain was a lot less. Only time would tell if Aidan’s scars and marks from the caning would affect his acting career. He hoped that if he was asked to do a role that required him to be nude and his buttocks would be visible that makeup could be used to hide his scars and marks. He and Dean had grown very close as a result of the time he’d spent at Dean’s with Dean taking care of him.  
“I can never appreciate enough what you’ve done for me. I don’t think I could have gotten through this without you. As a way of saying thanks I’d like you to be my best man should Amber and I get married,” Aidan said to Dean.  
“Are you going to propose to her?” Dean asked.  
“Dunno yet,” Aidan said.  
Amber had reassured Aidan that his scars and marks from the caning didn’t bother her and that she loved him just the same.  
“Well let me know if you do. Have a great flight home and good luck with Poldark,” Dean said.  
He and Aidan shook hands and hugged then Aidan headed up the air jetty to board his flight back to the UK and get on with his life. Poldark awaited and it was time to go home.


End file.
